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Reliability of questionnaire information measuring musculoskeletal symptoms and work histories.

The reliability of a musculoskeletal symptom and work history questionnaire used to assess musculoskeletal symptoms in the construction industry was examined. The Musculoskeletal Symptom and Work History (MSWH) questionnaire, concerning prior medical conditions, symptoms and injuries, work history, and psychosocial factors, was administered to 514 carpenters over the telephone. The MSWH questionnaire was then retested among 49 carpenters 1 to 3 weeks later. Data from the original and retest questionnaires were compared using the kappa statistic. Of the 49 retest subjects, 71.4% reported the same year for when they began carpenter work on both the original and retest questionnaire. For the year that musculoskeletal symptoms began, agreement between the original and retest questionnaire equaled 38.46% for reporting the same exact year and 30.77% for reporting a date within 2 years of the original answer. For reports of injuries, agreement between the original and retest questionnaires was high, with a kappa estimate of 0.77. For reports of prior medical history, agreement between the original and retest questionnaires was high, with a kappa estimate of 0.70. There was 75.5% agreement between the original and retest questionnaires concerning the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms in particular body regions. The kappa value equaled 0.46. There was 87.9% agreement between the original and retest questionnaires concerning the frequency of carpentry task performance. The kappa values equaled 0.73. For psychosocial factors influencing work, agreement between the original and retest questionnaire measured 84.4%, with a kappa estimate of 0.62. Overall agreement of the MSWH questionnaire equaled 85.6% with a kappa estimate of 0.63. The authors conclude that the MSWH questionnaire is a reliable measure of musculoskeletal symptoms and work history.